From the National Cathedral in Washington and the Islamic Society of North America, located in Indiana, to Saddleback Community Church in Southern California, a variety of religious communities throughout the United States are connected to the historic event on January 20.
Even atheists are invigorated by the inauguration, suing to prevent prayer and the name of God from being included in the ceremony.
“I can’t recall any prayers drawing so much attention,” says Charles Haynes. He is senior scholar at the First Amendment Center, which specializes in religion in public life, and was quoted by The Associated Press.
Rick Warren, a Southern Baptist who opposes gay marriage, is to deliver the inaugural prayer. Obama, however, also asked V. Gene Robinson, the first openly gay Episcopal (Anglican) bishop in the United States, to lead prayers at a Sunday opening event at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18. Sharon Watkins, the first woman president of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), a Protestant group, will deliver the sermon at the January 21 National Prayer Service that caps the event.
The first woman president of the Islamic Society of North America, Ingrid Mattson, and a specialist in Islamic-Christian dialogue, will offer a prayer during the National Cathedral service. The Islamic Society of North America is the largest Muslim group in the United States.
Three rabbis — Reform Rabbi David Saperstein, Conservative Rabbi Jerome Epstein, and Orthodox Rabbi Haskel Lookstein — representing the three major branches of American Judaism, will also say a prayer at the service, reports said.
Donald Wuerl, the Roman Catholic archbishop of Washington, will lead prayer on January 20.
